Too good to be true?
I'm well aware that this boat will not appeal to everyone. Most people contemplating offshore sailing opt for larger more sophisticated boats. They also spend a great deal more money. Or they opt for a boat that needs a lot of work. With HORIZON, you can get a proven passagemaker in great shape, the security of a steel boat, all of the necessary equipment (and few unnecessary/expensive frills), for a modest price. It's a great deal for the right person.
Too often, those boats that look great in the marina and in the advertising turn out to be not-so-great when you take them offshore. The hull works, leaks develop, rigging breaks, the self-steering or autopilot is inadequate: any number of things can go wrong when the boat is subjected to the strains of sailing in a seaway 24 hours a day.
Every boat is a compromise, as the old cliche goes, but after more than 50,000 miles in this boat, including many long offshore passages, I find the compromises to be relatively minor:
• I would like a little more freeboard aft (the freeboard forward is fine). It has never been a problem, and we’ve never been pooped even though we’ve been in some huge following seas. But I’ve always thought that if the line of the deck were allowed to sweep up a bit more aft of the cabin house, it would add a measure of security. A little more fullness in the stern to increase buoyancy there wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
• Make no mistake--this is a small boat. The interior is rather cramped by today’s standards for a 35-footer. As in any hard-chine boat, the chine construction cuts down on interior volume and makes the boat smaller than a conventional boat of similar dimensions would be. In addition, in building the interior I made provision for storage (over 50 lockers) more of a priority than living space. So if your priorities are spacious living, you can always get a Hunter or a Beneteau or an Island Packet. But if you plan to do a fair bit of offshore sailing, a compact interior offers a lot of security. Liz and I lived happily on board for years, and more recently we've enjoyed cruising for 4 or 5 months at a time.
So why am I selling?
For me, it's time to move on. I've been involved in sailing for 40 years. In addition to the cruises in the current HORIZON, I did a circumnavigation of the world back in the 1970s (in a 31-foot boat). At my age (76), I'm not particularly interested in long offshore passages any longer. It's been tough for me to reconcile myself to the possibility of letting HORIZON go, but I've finally decided that it makes sense to do so. I've tried to price it fairly, with the idea that the person who buys it will be getting an excellent deal. I'd very much like to see the boat go to someone who'll put it to the use for which it's intended. If you're right for the boat, and the boat is right for you, you'll know it's a good deal.
What are the Current Maintenance Needs?
All equipment is in excellent working condition, and the boat is ready for extended offshore cruising. Of course, any individual might wish to make modifications or add gear, according to individual tastes.
What About Electrolysis? What About Rust?
Horizon has never had any problems with electrolysis. With no 110 on board, there are no worries about stray current from the boat's wiring. Theoretically, nearby boats might cause problems, but that's never happened.
Because of the extensive offshore work this boat has done, there have been a few places that have had minor corrosion problems. I list here all that I am aware of:
I'm well aware that this boat will not appeal to everyone. Most people contemplating offshore sailing opt for larger more sophisticated boats. They also spend a great deal more money. Or they opt for a boat that needs a lot of work. With HORIZON, you can get a proven passagemaker in great shape, the security of a steel boat, all of the necessary equipment (and few unnecessary/expensive frills), for a modest price. It's a great deal for the right person.
Too often, those boats that look great in the marina and in the advertising turn out to be not-so-great when you take them offshore. The hull works, leaks develop, rigging breaks, the self-steering or autopilot is inadequate: any number of things can go wrong when the boat is subjected to the strains of sailing in a seaway 24 hours a day.
Every boat is a compromise, as the old cliche goes, but after more than 50,000 miles in this boat, including many long offshore passages, I find the compromises to be relatively minor:
• I would like a little more freeboard aft (the freeboard forward is fine). It has never been a problem, and we’ve never been pooped even though we’ve been in some huge following seas. But I’ve always thought that if the line of the deck were allowed to sweep up a bit more aft of the cabin house, it would add a measure of security. A little more fullness in the stern to increase buoyancy there wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
• Make no mistake--this is a small boat. The interior is rather cramped by today’s standards for a 35-footer. As in any hard-chine boat, the chine construction cuts down on interior volume and makes the boat smaller than a conventional boat of similar dimensions would be. In addition, in building the interior I made provision for storage (over 50 lockers) more of a priority than living space. So if your priorities are spacious living, you can always get a Hunter or a Beneteau or an Island Packet. But if you plan to do a fair bit of offshore sailing, a compact interior offers a lot of security. Liz and I lived happily on board for years, and more recently we've enjoyed cruising for 4 or 5 months at a time.
So why am I selling?
For me, it's time to move on. I've been involved in sailing for 40 years. In addition to the cruises in the current HORIZON, I did a circumnavigation of the world back in the 1970s (in a 31-foot boat). At my age (76), I'm not particularly interested in long offshore passages any longer. It's been tough for me to reconcile myself to the possibility of letting HORIZON go, but I've finally decided that it makes sense to do so. I've tried to price it fairly, with the idea that the person who buys it will be getting an excellent deal. I'd very much like to see the boat go to someone who'll put it to the use for which it's intended. If you're right for the boat, and the boat is right for you, you'll know it's a good deal.
What are the Current Maintenance Needs?
All equipment is in excellent working condition, and the boat is ready for extended offshore cruising. Of course, any individual might wish to make modifications or add gear, according to individual tastes.
What About Electrolysis? What About Rust?
Horizon has never had any problems with electrolysis. With no 110 on board, there are no worries about stray current from the boat's wiring. Theoretically, nearby boats might cause problems, but that's never happened.
Because of the extensive offshore work this boat has done, there have been a few places that have had minor corrosion problems. I list here all that I am aware of:
- There are two small areas forward, at the point where the hull plating meets the keel, that experienced some corrosion. This is in an area where water from the chain locker used to collect (I now have a different arrangement for chain locker drainage), so the corrosion was on the inside of the plating. In the fall of 2010, I hauled the boat, ground all the paint off in those areas, and had steel patches welded on the outside. I faired the patches in and repainted them with multiple coats of epoxy paint. On the inside, I placed multiple coats of fiberglass in epoxy to ensure that no water gets to the underlying steel. The repair is structurally sound, it looks good, and the cost was quite modest (about $1000 including the haulout). The overall lesson is that steel boats are quite easily repairable .
- Steel under the 2 Dorade boxes has experienced some corrosion. Again, I fiberglassed a lot of this. The next step would be to remove the teak Dorade boxes and do a thorough job of it. This is not a high priority item.
- The deck has had some problems, primarily because in places the Treadmaster non-skid held water between itself and the deck in areas where the adhesion wasn't particularly good. The result has been some rust underneath the Treadmaster in a few places. None of it is particularly serious and none of it has gone through the deck. I've treated these areas with epoxy paint and filler. In general, the deck looks good and the nonskid quality of the TM remains excellent. I did a major rehab job on the deck in 2016 (multiple coats of paint) in lieu of replacing the TM, and that's worked out very well.
What About the Color?
A yellow boat? Why did we choose yellow? Well, we like the way it looks. It would be quite easy to change the color if you're determined not to have yellow. It takes two of us about 3 hours to wet-sand the topsides and roll and tip a fresh coat of paint on--hardly a real burden. To change the color, it would probably take two coats, possibly three. Say 9 or 10 hours, max. But before you do that, consider some of the advantages of a bright yellow boat:
A yellow boat? Why did we choose yellow? Well, we like the way it looks. It would be quite easy to change the color if you're determined not to have yellow. It takes two of us about 3 hours to wet-sand the topsides and roll and tip a fresh coat of paint on--hardly a real burden. To change the color, it would probably take two coats, possibly three. Say 9 or 10 hours, max. But before you do that, consider some of the advantages of a bright yellow boat:
- It looks great in photographs and videos. The yellow against the blue of the water is quite striking.
- It's easy to pick out in photographs. In a shot of an anchorage filled with white boats, you don't have to explain to people which boat is yours. In the same way, it's easy for you to spot in a large and crowded anchorage.
- People remember the boat. So many times we've had people come up to us and say, "We saw you in Bequia..." (or Gibralter...or wherever). It's not like sailing a Beneteau or an Island Packet.
- Stains and streaks and other unwanted marks are much less conspicuous on yellow than on white.
And if you do buy it...
Buying a used boat is always a bit of an adventure, and it seems like unpleasant surprises are almost inevitable as you discover things that didn't turn up on the survey. It can be a real challenge to figure out how something was done or where this wire goes or what that gizmo is. Because HORIZON is not a production boat and because it's steel, there are many things that are not "standard." For that reason, after purchase I'll spend whatever time it takes going through the boat's systems with you, answering any questions, and in general getting you familiar with the boat. I know every inch of the boat, and this would be a great opportunity for you to pick my brains, take notes, and avoid future confusion or problems.
In addition, I should note that manuals for virtually all equipment are on board, and there is an up-to-date wiring diagram (almost never found on used boats!).
Further, I've written a 20-page "User's Manual" for the new owner's reference; it details most of the idiosyncracies of the boat, tells you where things are and how to deal with many of the non-standard items. I sincerely want any new owner to be happy with the boat and will do everything I can to be sure you are.